Barrel-closure.



N0. 637,!5l Patented Nov. l4, I899.

H. A.McEACHERN.

' BARREL CLOSURE.

(Application filed July 15; 1899.)

(No Model.)

ETERS co.. PMomLm-xa. WASHINGTON, 'u. c.

' UNITED STATES PATENT CFFIcE.

HUGH A. MOEAOHERN, or VALDOSTA, GEORGIA;

BARREL-CLOSURE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 637,151, dated 1\l'ovember 14,1895. Application filed July 15, 1899. serial No. 723,961. (No model.)

economically manufactured and one which" will be susceptible of efficient use upon barrels intended to hold viscous material, such as gum or raw turpentine, as well as Water, syrup, &c-.; to so construct a barrel-closure for the use designated that the closure may be readily applied to and removed from the barrel-rim, so that it may be used repeatedly without materially affecting its utility; to produce a device of the character defined with means for securing a water or air tight joint, if desired, and, further, to so construct such barrel-closure that when subjected to different degrees of heat and moisture the parts will not become warped, thus avoiding one serious objection to barrel-closures with which I am familiar.

With these objects in view my invention consists in the novel construction hereinafter described with reference to the accompanying drawings and more particularly pointed out in the claims.

In the drawings, Figure l is a bottom plan view of a barrel-closure embodying my improvement. Fig. 2 is a top plan view of the rim. Fig. 3 is a bottom plan view of the head or cover. Fig. t is a transverse section on the line 4 4., Fig. 1, looking to the right. Fig. 5 is a sectional detail hereinafter referred to.

Referring now to the drawings, in which the same reference characters relate to the same or corresponding parts in all the views, 1 indicates a barrel-rim which is preferably provided with a beveled edge 2, so that it may be readily applied to the chime or groove in the barrel-body, this rim being preferably permanently attached to the barrel; but it will be understood, of course, that this rim may be secured to the barrel-body in any suitable way, either permanently or detachably, as desired, as this feature of itself forms no part of my present improvement. The inner periphery or flange of the rim 1 is provided with a plurality of notches or recesses 3, there being shown in the present instance three such recesses, though two or more may be used, if desired, according to the kind of bar the rim, thereby forming a'tight joint be tween the rim and the cover. 'The cover or head of the barrel 5 is provided with a suit able handle 10 and may be made of any suit able material+such as wood, papier-mach,

cast-iron, &c.-according to the use for which the barrel is intended. For viscous material, such as gum or raw turpentine, I prefer to make the cover of wood, either of single thickness or two or more thicknesses, as desired.

By the use of the packing-ring of compressible material I am enabled to make the head and rim more easily and cheaply, as this provides for an adjustable head that. can be readily fitted down upon the yielding pack-' ing, and a certain amount of looseness be, tween the parts may be permitted, so that swelling or shrinkage of the wood will not interfere with the proper adjustment of the head upon the rim.

Upon the under side of the cover I provide locking bars or dogs 6, having projecting jaws 7, which are adapted to engage inclined lugs or flanges 8, formed with or secured to the under side of the fixed rim 1, the said lugs or flanges having cam-surfaces 11 abutting the notches 3 in the rim. Upon the outside of said inclined lugs or flanges I provide guardlugs or reinforce-strips 9, which extend across the notches 3 and overlap the same. These guard lugs or strips preferably extend throughout the greater portion of the length of and conform to the shape of the outer periphery of the inclined portions of the lugs 8, so as to strengthen the same at the weakest points and at the same time extend a slight distance beyond the elevated portion of the flanges or lugs 8, and are secured to, contact with, or form part of the same. The said guard lugs 01' strips serve to strengthen the cam structure and to prevent distortion or warping of the parts, thereby preserving the proper relation between the recesses, the camsurfaces 11, and the locking-jaw 7, and at the same time serve to readily center the cover when the ends of the jaws are brought into contact therewith.

In applying the closure it will be obvious that it is only necessary to bring the projecting jaws 7 in register with the recesses or notches 3, lower the cover into place until the locking-jaws are in register with the ends of the cam-surfaces 11, and turn the cover by the handle 10 until the jaws 7 are firmly engaged by the flanges or lugs 8, the degree of pressure exerted depending upon the position of the locking-jaws in respect to the ends of said flanges or lugs 8.

I should add that if the barrel head or cover is thin and not subjected to much strain two notches may be suflicient, with a corresponding number of locking-jaws; but if the head is made of heavy material or two or more thicknesses of wood three or more of the notches in the rim and acorresponding number of locking-jaws will be preferable, if not necessary. I should also observe that I preferably cast the rim, with the cam-flanges, in one piece, though it is evident that they may be made of separate pieces and secured together in any suitable manner, and in like manner the several parts of the cover may be in one structure or in integral piece, as desired. The guard lugs or strips maybe formed integral with or separate from the rim, in which latter case they are suitably secured to the rim by bolts or rivets.

I claim as my invention 1. The hereindescribed improvement in barrel-closures, consisting of a rim adapted to be secured to a barrel, said rim being provided with notches or recesses on its inner periphery, and lugs having cam-surfaces projecting from the rim between notches, a plurality of guard lugs or strips abutting the outer surfaces of the cam-flanges and extending across the notches, and a cover provided with lockingbars having jaws adapted to pass through the notches and engagthe lugs on the rim when the said cover is turned, substantially as described.

2. The herein-described improvement in barrel-closures, consisting of a rim adapted to be secured to the body of a barrel and provided with downwardly-projecting inclined lugs, with notches between the adjacent ends of said lugs, a plurality of guard-strips 0n the rim adapted to strengthen the lugs to prevent warping, and a cover provided on its under side with locking-bars adapted to pass through the notches on the rim and engage the inclined lugs, as the cover is turned, substantially as described.

3. The herein-described improvement in barrel-closures, consisting of a rim adapted to be secured to the head of the barrel and provided with notches on its inner periphery, lugs having inclined faces projecting from the lower face of the rim and having their ends in alinement with the notches, a plurality of reinforcing or guard pieces extending across the notches on the under side of the rim and rigidly connecting the lugs together, and a barrel-cover provided with packingrings seated in a groove in the upper face of the rim, locking-bars on the underside thereof adapted to pass through the notches and to lock the ,cover in place, by engagement of said locking-bars with the inclined faces of the lugs, when the cover is turned, substantially as described.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification ,in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

HUGH A. MCEAOHERN.

Witnesses:

M. M. DUNCAN, J. L. TALLEVAST. 

